For many people, dementia is one of their greatest fears.  Yet, as we age, we are at increasing risk for developing cognitive and/or memory difficulties. It can be challenging to discern whether a person has normal age-related changes, or whether there is something more serious going on.

Trained neuropsychologists are able to differentiate between dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and normal age-related changes. While sometimes, I do full neuropsychological batteries, sometimes I simply do a briefer screening, which allows us to briefly evaluate the different areas of thinking, to see if there is anything that merits further exploration.

A screening is less expensive and time consuming than a full evaluation, and can often give us all the information we need. A full evaluation can look into all the possible cognitive and psychological areas to generate a more nuanced and complete picture of the client.

I am aware that people may feel sensitive or afraid during evaluations, and it's my goal to make the client feel as comfortable and appreciated as possible. Our goal is to understand strengths and weaknesses, and to set a baseline for the client's future.  I try to keep the atmosphere respectful, supportive and encouraging, and most clients report that the screenings are much more pleasant and less scary than they imagined, some even saying that they had fun!